Description
This comforting chicken casserole combines tender boneless chicken thighs slow-cooked with mushrooms, carrots, celery, and a richly flavored creamy sauce. Perfect for a hearty family meal, it features a beautifully balanced blend of herbs and spices and is ideal served with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Protein and Fats
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 8 boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) double (heavy) cream
Vegetables
- 2 brown onions, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 16-20 baby chestnut mushrooms
- 16-20 chantenay carrots
- 3 sticks celery, roughly chopped
- small bunch parsley, chopped
Dry Ingredients and Seasonings
- 3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
Liquids
- 480 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Prep and Brown Chicken: Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the boneless chicken thighs and brown lightly on both sides, which should take about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and place it into the slow cooker.
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: Add unsalted butter to the frying pan and heat until melted. Add diced onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add minced garlic, stirring and cooking for another minute to release the flavors.
- Create the Sauce Base: Sprinkle in the flour, salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and celery salt. Stir and cook the mixture for 2 minutes to form a roux and meld the spices together.
- Add Liquids and Boil: Pour in the chicken stock and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir continuously and bring the mixture to a boil, allowing it to thicken slightly. Once boiling, carefully pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Add Vegetables: Add baby chestnut mushrooms, chantenay carrots, and roughly chopped celery to the slow cooker. Stir to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Slow Cook: Cover with the lid and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or on high heat for 3-4 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables are tender.
- Finish with Cream and Serve: Once cooked, shred the chicken slightly using two forks, then stir in the double (heavy) cream to add richness. Serve hot with a garnish of fresh chopped parsley. This dish pairs wonderfully with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Notes
- You can make this dish ahead of time, then cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in a large saucepan over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until heated through, adding a splash of cream or milk if needed to loosen the sauce.
- For freezing, make the casserole, cool, cover, and freeze. Defrost thoroughly in the refrigerator. Reheat in a saucepan on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until hot throughout. This also applies to leftovers.
- Chicken thighs are preferred for tenderness and shredding, but you can substitute chicken breasts or bone-in pieces.
- Extra vegetables like baby potatoes, leeks, shallots, or cubes of butternut squash can be added for variety.
- For extra flavor, add crispy bacon or pancetta at the end of cooking.
- The recipe scales easily: double all ingredients to increase servings or halve chicken and vegetables for smaller portions, keeping liquid amounts the same to avoid drying out.
- Oven method: Cook in a covered casserole dish at 175°C (350°F) for 45-60 minutes until carrots are tender. Add an extra 120 ml (1/2 cup) chicken stock to account for evaporation. Stir occasionally during cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/4 of casserole)
- Calories: 422 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 1597 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 172 mg
